(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a power-saving computer system capable of saving (or reducing) power, and a method for controlling power saving of a computer system.
(b) Description of the Related Art
As information technology (IT) systems increasingly have high performance and large capacity, energy consumption thereof is increased, and thus a technique for reducing power consumption in the IT field is required. In general, major factors of power consumption of computer systems include a maximum rate central processing unit (CPU) of a computer main frame, a large monitor screen, non-smoothness of controlling an idle state of a CPU, and the like. In spite of the major factors of power consumption, if a CPU rate is lowered or a monitor is switched to a miniature LCD or LED monitor, power consumption may be significantly reduced. However, such a power saving method has a problem in that a computer main frame cannot recognize characteristics of work or surrounding situations and adapt itself thereto, and in this state, if the computer main frame performs power saving monitoring, sleep controlling is rather interfered and 10 to 20% of power is additionally consumed due to power saving monitoring.
Meanwhile, in case of a typical computer system, a display motor consumes approximately 1 to 60 W of power in an idle state and approximately 150 W of power in an active state. Here, it can be seen that the display device (e.g., monitor) consumes a considerably large amount of power per unit time, relative to the computer main frame. Existing power saving methods have focused on CPU-oriented power consumption within computer main frames.
For example, in case of a TV video service, receiving TV by a small digital TV (DTV) is greatly advantageous in terms of power consumption, rather than receiving TV through a large monitor. Computers with a variety of selections of power consumption have been released in line with the advancement of computer technologies. In detail, less power is consumed in the order of a high performance computer, a high performance server, a personal computer, a personal notebook computer, and a personal mobile phone, and differences in power consumption therebetween are significant.
Meanwhile, if a task which does not consume a great amount of power is performed through a high performance and high resolution computer, power may be wasted. Currently, a method by which, if a task requires a high performance computer, the high performance computer processes the corresponding task, and otherwise, a computer system is automatically adjusted to fit an optimal environment according to the corresponding task, is required.
Meanwhile, it is difficult for a computer system to achieve target power saving only with low power design of its own.
On the other hand, in order to save power of display devices that consume a great amount of power, among devices of computer systems, a screen saver function may be used; however, although a screen saver operates, power of display devices is still consumed. In addition, a method for adjusting brightness of a backlight of a display device is used to save power, but a power saving effect thereof is not great.
Also, power consumption may be considerably reduced by turning off a display device. However, if a display device is in a turned-off state, a current state of a computer main frame cannot be known. In the case in which a display device is in a turned-off state, since a user cannot know a state of a computer system, he or she may shut down the computer system by mistake or may wake up the computer system to the original state. In such a case, since unnecessary power is consumed for the computer system to be returned to its original state, power is wasted.
FIG. 1 is a view illustrating an existing computer system 1000.
An existing computer system 1000 includes a display device 1100, a computer main frame 1200, and a power supply device 1300. The computer main frame 1200 includes a processor 1210, a memory 1220, and a graphics adapter 1230.
The processor 1210 collects a power state of the computer system 1000, analyzes the collected power state, and determines a power saving policy according to power saving configuration information stored in the memory 1220. The processor 1210 performs power saving control on the computer main frame 1200 and the display device 1100 according to the determined power saving policy.
Meanwhile, in the case of the power saving method of the computer system 1000, since the processor 1210 of the computer system 1000 collects a power state, analyzes the power state, and determines a power saving policy, a large amount of power is consumed.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.